Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting workpieces on a sawhorse, and more particularly, to an apparatus for alternatively supporting workpieces directly atop a sawhorse beam or supporting workpieces above the sawhorse beam on a series of adjustable pegs to provide operational clearance for tools between the workpieces and the beam.
xe2x80x9cSawhorsexe2x80x9d is a generic name for a device that generally consists of a horizontal beam or rail supported by two pairs of opposed legs that descend from the rail, generally at an angle away from each other, to provide stability to the rail. While most sawhorses stand about 30 to 36 inches tall, some collapse or fold by various means for easier storage and transportation.
Sawhorses are used by carpenters, tradesmen and others, to support objects, workpieces and materials, such as boards and plywood, (collectively xe2x80x9cworkpiecesxe2x80x9d) during construction-type operations. These types of operations cover a broad range of activities, including sanding, buffing, cutting, drilling, nailing and gluing. Many of the operations are accomplished using motorized xe2x80x9cpowerxe2x80x9d tools, such as circular saws, jig saws and power drills. During operation, many tools, and in particular power tools, must penetrate below the bottom surface of the workpiece. That is, to cut a board in half, for example, a portion of the blade on a circular saw actually extends below the bottom surface of the board. Similarly, to drill a hole through a plank, the drill tip must fully penetrate through the bottom surface of the plank.
Such penetration can cause difficulties when, for example, the cutting or drilling traverses the area of the workpiece that is resting directly on the rail of the sawhorse. In order to prevent damage to the workpiece, the sawhorse or the tools, the workpiece must be repositioned on the support surface during the operation. In fact, the workpiece must often be repositioned multiple times to complete a single operation. For example, when ripping a four foot by eight foot sheet of plywood with a circular saw, the plywood sheet may be repositioned several times to avoid cutting the rail of the sawhorse. This imparts inefficiencies in all such operations and may cause the user to take unnecessary risks to the equipment, the sawhorse or himself in order shorten the time required to perform each such operation.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a sawhorse design that allows operations to be performed on a workpiece supported by the sawhorse without risking damage to the workpiece or the sawhorse, and without requiring time consuming steps to reposition of the workpiece.
The present invention resides in a sawhorse rail design that elevates the supported workpiece above the surface of the rail itself, such that operations that would otherwise require repositioning the workpiece atop the sawhorse to avoid encountering the rail can be performed without such repositioning. This improvement allows the carpenter or other craftsman to utilize the sawhorse more efficiently without the concern that an operation may unintentionally cause damage to the rail, the tools or the workpiece.
Generally stated, the invention includes a novel rail. The rail has a top surface which include plurality of linearly aligned holes along its length, two horizontally extending side walls and two end walls which define an inner cavity. Within the cavity is a series of interconnected, linearly aligned, upwardly protruding support members operatively associated with an apparatus for urging the support members through the openings in the top surface of the rail to create a workpiece support surface above the rail. Hence, the support members are adjustable from a first position above the top of the rail to a second position below the top of the rail.
The support members rest atop a plank which rests on a skid slidably positioned within the cavity. The plank is free to move vertically, but not laterally. The plank has a series of slots formed in its length which correspond to a series of ramps positioned on the skid below the plank. The skid can move laterally. The relationship between the slots and the ramps is such that by moving the skid in one lateral direction, one side of each of the slots is forced to ride up the incline of its corresponding ramp, thereby raising the plank carrying the support members to a position where the support elements protrude through the openings in the top wall of the rail. When the skid is moved in the other lateral direction, the slots slide down the incline on the ramps, thereby lowering the plank and the support members. The tops of the ramps are flat to allow the plank to rest atop the ramps and maintain the support members in the first position above the rail. A handle, attached to the skid through a slot formed in one of the sides of the rail, enables the user to impart the desired lateral movement to skid so as to raise or lower the support members.
Hence, the present invention provides a simple to control mechanism that allows the user to selectively and quickly raise or lower the workpiece atop the sawhorse rail depending on the operation being performed on that workpiece.
In addition, the rail in the present invention is designed to reside atop both fixed and collapsible legs or supports. The present invention is readily adaptable to numerous shapes and sizes, and may be constructed of many materials, such as wood, plastics and metals.
Other objects and additional features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.